Improvement in apparatus for extinguishing fires



No. 80,701. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1868.-

J. F. BABGOUK. 1 2 APPARATUS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRE.

JAMES F. BABOQOK, or Boston, MASSACHUSETTS.

mPRovE'M nr-m APPARATUS. FOR'EXTINGUISHING ines.

Speciflcation'forming part of Letters Patent No. 80,70l,dated August 4, 1868'.

To all whom it may concern: p i Be. it known that I, JAMEsF. BABCOGK, of

Bo'stmnin the county of Sufi'olk and State of Massachusetts, have. invented an Improved Apparatus for Er tinguishing Fires, &c.; and I" do hereby declare that the following,- taken in connection with the drawings which accom pa'uy and form part of this specification, is a description of. my invention, sufiicient tojena" hie those skilled in the art to practice it.

'My invention relates, primarily, to the construction of that class of apparatus (designed particularly tbrfextinguishing' fires) in which a confined body of wateror otherfliquid'is operatednpon by'the, pressnrc'ol an elastic gas or fluid, confined within thesame vessel, the pressure of the gas impellin g the waterthrough a suitable outiet and 'pipe. v My'improvement is designed to furnish a cheap and eifective apparatus, ready at alltimes for use, or capable of liein g used, at an y mid-all times, at a moments, notice,.with the aid of'but one person, and with no other than, the most ordinary skill, the apparatus beingcapable of throwing'any'quantity oi -water;

from a. few gallons to twenty barrels or. more,'

according to the thevesseL- g Int carrying out my invention; I employ a strong and tight netallic vessel, inclosiug a smaller vessel or tube, theelatter extending nearly to the bottom of and opening at bot tom into the main vessel, and being closed at top by a screw-cap, this cap being outside of the top ofthe main. vessel, the main and smaller vessel being united at top.

Besides communicating with the main ves sel at bottom, the tube has an aperture through water-holding capacityv of it, about quarter way down from the top, and just above this aperture is a wire or open partition for supporting a charge, by combos tion of which a gas iscvolved, the pressure of which will eject the water from the vessel through an aperture and pipe provided for that purpose. 2

This description will serve to define in general terms the construction constituting (primarily) my improvement.

The drawing represents a vertical central section of the apparatus. p

a denotes the main fluid-containing vessel, made of size to hold any desirable quantity bya screw-plug, f.

of water, from a gallon or less to a number of barrels. This vessel is madeperiectly tight, except that it, is provided with a. waste-cock, hand a screw-came, and an ejecting-tube, h, that control the induction and jeduction of fluid. The cap'c is immediately screwed into the top of the tube 02, which extends down into the main chamber and nearlyto the bottomthereof. This screw-cap-has an aperture, 0,

through it, and-this aperture is tightly closed Toward the top ofthe tube d is an orifice, 9, leading from the interior of'tube (1 into the mei'n'chamber, and at or about in line wit this aperture is the waste-cock. b,'leading from themain chamber. Across the tube (1, at a little distance above the' orifice g, is a wire or open partition, 2, which isv for the. purpose of holding a" basket containing thecomp'ound to be burned. Leading from the top ofthe main chamber is a tube, h, entrance into which is controlled by acock ,.l, and to this tube is attached the hose or pipe bywhich the water in the vessel or. is tobe conducted to and ejected 'upon the tire to, be extinguished. f

- The composition to be burned in thetube 01 may be ignited, andthen placed directly on the partition ibyremm'ing the cape; but generally I prefer to use the plug f, keeping the cap 8 closed, and leading a fuse trom the composi- .tion to the aperture 6, so that it may be tired by removing plngf, the composition being,

preferably, contained in a small pastebourd case, which is placed in a basket, and this basket ,upon' the partition.

The gas-generating charge to be burned maybe composed ot' charcoal or sulphur, with silicate 0t potassa or soda, and substances capuble of furnishing oxygen in proper proportions to produce carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, nitrogen or sulphu-rous acid, either mixedor separatey, according to the nature of the mixture, and with such composition I prefer to use a fuse saturated with a hot solution of nitrate of 'potas'sa, or othcr'suitable substance, and gum water, properly dried, such fuse connectinght one end with the composition in the-basket, its other end being passed through the hole in the screwcap.

The apparatus is charged and used as follows: The-vessel wand tube d being" empty, and the. cap b removed, water is poured into seventy parts; charc with water. The cock h being then opened,

the water will adjust-itself in both chambers to the level of the cock and the orifice g, and the cock is then closed, the com position-charge being then placed in the basket with itsfuse in position, and the basket upon the partition, the cap is-scr'ewed upon the tube, and the apparatus is ready for use. v

' In using it, the screw-plugis removed, the fuse-is lighted. and the plug then replaced 'in when the fuse is lighted the key is turned,- thus closing the passage through it into the vessel.) The fuse ignites the composition, which consumes quietly and regularly, without flameor explosion, producing oneor more of the gases previously |'uentioned,*t he elastic force of wlnch serves to eject'the" water throughthe hose communicating. with the tube. The gases pass down? the tube 11,

through the water, the bottom of the tube. 116-.

in g made with notches or serrations 75, through. the upper part (it which the gas escapes from the tube into theniain chamberin sinallibub bles. If they consist of carbonica'cid'or-S111 -phurous,acid,'they dissolve'in the water}, ifiof,

. nitrogen or carbonic oxide,they;1"ise.into the, one-fourth space at the top of the .v,essel where, being compressed, thcy'exert-apressurcupon the water sufficient topropel .itffroi'n the hose-pipe to adistancc oi fifty to se\ 'enty- 'fi-vefeet, according to the pres'sl-rrefYW-hen' .the .water isexpended, the basket is'takeh'out 'i the remains-of the first chargenr'e removed}; andreplaced by a secon djchargez; theba-rreli -is again-filled with are-1 mm thechargefllsfi lighted-as before. This may be done contin fl the time 1 requiredjtbr charging the machine being from thirty to sixty seconds.

. uously,

[The composition in the pasteboard "cascs consists of mixtures of ,ch-lorates or "nitrates "of "potassa or soda, with, charcoal or sulphur and silicates of soda or pot-assa, inliquid form,

in varying proportion,according to theobject for. which the mixture-isused.. If for raising vor propelhngwater simply, gases-insoluble in water are required, such-as .nitrogen or carbonic oxide. The last oi" these is produced by amixture of one-hiindred and twenty-twov .parts chloride of potassa, thirty-six parts charcoal, both in fine powder, and made into apastc with liquid silicate of soda or potassa, and carefully dried. v

Another mixture for. the same purpose, furnishing both nitrogen and carbonic oxide, consists of, nitrate of soda, one hundred and onl sixty parts. Nitrate of potussa, two hundnsl and two parts, may

be substituted for the nitrate of soda. These ingredients are to be in line powder,. and mixed with silicate of soda or potassa, as before. I p i If it is desired to pro the following compounds maybe used chlo silicate of soda or potassa; or nitrate of soda, one hundred and seventy parts charcoal, thirty parts, mixed with-silicate of'potassa 01' soda; or"ni trate ot'.'potassa,ti \-o hundred and two parts; charcoal, thirty parts; mixed with silicate oi. .potassa-or soda. Chlorate of soda may in all cases b'e substituted for the potassa salt, according. 'to its chemical equivalent.

duced, at the same time as the-carbonic acid.-

For .'producing sulphurous acid, mixtures of chlorateof potassa,- one hund red and twentytwo parts sulphur,. tbrty-eight ,pa I with silicate ot" potas'sa .or soda. Nitrate ot' potassa or soda .inay b'e substituted 'in thiscase in proportion according to its chemical equivalent. V

' TheseImixtures should, be. made and handled with care, theiiig-redients powdered sep 'arately, 'aud mixed on flat surfacc, or by sitting". After 'the addition of the silicate of with-\somedi'fficulty. *Auuantity of powder, for example,-beiug "placed upon some of the paste, 1tj-may;-l)e fired without -lighting the "mixtures. *Fri'ctionor percussion doesnot will remain; unaltered for, any

size aud'the pi ess'urerequired, and should be {fcri each difl'ereu-usizedhmachine, Havin 4 de- .1term i ne1l the amount for amac'hine of a cert ain size,-the amountfoundftogive the requis the same sized machine. For a machine holdin'g eight gallons. of water, from .four to six "ounces of' either inixture will. be found suflicient, producinga pressure varyingfrom-ibrtytire to seventy-five pounds, By using "a larger charge, a greater pressure may be obtained.

ed to the. water in 'the: machine: of liquid; sit icate of soda orpotassa, one or two pouudsuor more, the wholet'o be wellmixed by agitation before the charge is inserted.

or potassa should beadded only iuthose cases wherecharges producing nitrogen or. carbonic oxide are used, as carbonic acid under pressacid or sulphu-rous acid is theonly gas produced, as, in: these cases, the gases-would be duce carbonic acid gas,

rate of potassa, one hundred andtwenty-two' parts'; charcoal, eighteen parts, .mixed with Where nitrates are used, nitrogen gas is proposition. (Ins ead of this plug, a cock may, 1

.be used having a lJOlB'lJllfOllQli the key large enough for the fuse to extend through it, andrts, mixed sodathere isnospecial precaution to be taken, as. they ar-lthen non-explosive, and take fire v -.i i'ifec t tnenr. Being thusprepared,thecharges length of time,

A terial required at" charging a machine will vary, according to its adetermi'nedzb'y experiment foreach mixture i'te pressure should always be adhered to for- -For extinguishing tires,there shouldbe add- Silicateof soda ure decomposes this substance. Aquaammo or omitted, at pleasure, with the silicate of;

wholly absorbed by the water, thus producing u ingfiamc, and prevent wood or other suhstan "with water upon fire, produce one of the most effects describedis very slight, thus enabling the invention to be carried out on a large scale [by connecting a tank holding from tenqto which may be carried npoueach story oi a building, having stop-cocks at various points, i to which a hose may be attached as required,

most instantly, 'which can be thrown to a great distance or height.

I soaol no pressure. Tungstate of soda also may be added to the water in all'eases where silicates. are admissible. I

The silicates of soda or potassa mixed-with water have most-powerful effects in extinguish ces, once wet with them from taking tire a second time, even when dry.

Ammonia water, containing as it does so-- much gas in solution, the gas being drivencout by the slightest heat, and possessing 'so great a d-ifi'u'sive power, is also a very powerful agent in extinguishing flame, while the ammonia and the silicate of soda together, when thrown e'flicient agents possible for rapidly and completely extinguishing" fires, and rendering at the same time those. substances wet with the mixture incapable of further combustion.

-; The cost of materials for producinglthe twenty barrels of water with. suitable pipst. 1

thus furnishing a large amount of water alent or patents.

The machine does not require to' be charged beforehand; but, being filled with water and the composition inserted, is ready at a moments notice by lighting the fuse. On this principle, cheap fire-engines for country towns, having great efficiency, and requiringbut-one person'to operate them, may be constructed,

the-operation of the invention being equally satisfactory in large or small machines Though I have described the composition of the charges which I prefer to burn to generate the impelling gas,I do not limit myself to theeniployment of such. compositions; neither do I herein claim such compositions, masinuch as, so far as they may be new, I intend to make them thesubject of an independent pat- I claiin- IA liquid-ejecting apparatus, having a main water or liquid chamber or reservoir, a, and

gas generaUin g tube, d, this tube having provision ,at' its upper part for holding the gasgenerating composition, to be burned, and the tube-and main chamber being constructed and arran'ged, substantially as described.

. JAS. F. B-ABOOGK. Witnesses:

'J. B. Onosnr, FRANCIS GOULD; 

